mayperceivenodifferenceintheweather，itdoes。Whowouldhavesuspectedsolargeandcoldandthick-skinnedathingtobesosensitive？Yetithasitslawtowhichitthundersobediencewhenitshouldassurelyasthebudsexpandinthespring。Theearthisallaliveandcoveredwithpapillae。Thelargestpondisassensitivetoatmosphericchangesastheglobuleofmercuryinitstube。
OneattractionincomingtothewoodstolivewasthatIshouldhaveleisureandopportunitytoseetheSpringcomein。Theiceinthepondatlengthbeginstobehoneycombed，andIcansetmyheelinitasIwalk。Fogsandrainsandwarmersunsaregraduallymeltingthesnow；thedayshavegrownsensiblylonger；andIseehowIshallgetthroughthewinterwithoutaddingtomywood-pile，forlargefiresarenolongernecessary。Iamonthealertforthefirstsignsofspring，tohearthechancenoteofsomearrivingbird，orthestripedsquirrel’schirp，forhisstoresmustbenownearlyexhausted，orseethewoodchuckventureoutofhiswinterquarters。Onthe13thofMarch，afterIhadheardthebluebird，songsparrow，andred-wing，theicewasstillnearlyafootthick。
Astheweathergrewwarmeritwasnotsensiblywornawaybythewater，norbrokenupandfloatedoffasinrivers，but，thoughitwascompletelymeltedforhalfarodinwidthabouttheshore，themiddlewasmerelyhoneycombedandsaturatedwithwater，sothatyoucouldputyourfootthroughitwhensixinchesthick；butbythenextdayevening，perhaps，afterawarmrainfollowedbyfog，itwouldhavewhollydisappeared，allgoneoffwiththefog，spiritedaway。OneyearIwentacrossthemiddleonlyfivedaysbeforeitdisappearedentirely。In1845Waldenwasfirstcompletelyopenonthe1stofApril；in’46，the25thofMarch；in’47，the8thofApril；in’51，the28thofMarch；in’52，the18thofApril；in’53，the23dofMarch；in’54，aboutthe7thofApril。
Everyincidentconnectedwiththebreakingupoftheriversandpondsandthesettlingoftheweatherisparticularlyinterestingtouswholiveinaclimateofsogreatextremes。Whenthewarmerdayscome，theywhodwellneartheriverheartheicecrackatnightwithastartlingwhoopasloudasartillery，asifitsicyfetterswererentfromendtoend，andwithinafewdaysseeitrapidlygoingout。Sothealligatorcomesoutofthemudwithquakingsoftheearth。Oneoldman，whohasbeenacloseobserverofNature，andseemsasthoroughlywiseinregardtoallheroperationsasifshehadbeenputuponthestockswhenhewasaboy，andhehadhelpedtolayherkeel——whohascometohisgrowth，andcanhardlyacquiremoreofnaturalloreifheshouldlivetotheageofMethuselah——
toldme——andIwassurprisedtohearhimexpresswonderatanyofNature’soperations，forIthoughtthattherewerenosecretsbetweenthem——thatonespringdayhetookhisgunandboat，andthoughtthathewouldhavealittlesportwiththeducks。Therewasicestillonthemeadows，butitwasallgoneoutoftheriver，andhedroppeddownwithoutobstructionfromSudbury，wherehelived，toFairHavenPond，whichhefound，unexpectedly，coveredforthemostpartwithafirmfieldofice。Itwasawarmday，andhewassurprisedtoseesogreatabodyoficeremaining。Notseeinganyducks，hehidhisboatonthenorthorbacksideofanislandinthepond，andthenconcealedhimselfinthebushesonthesouthside，toawaitthem。Theicewasmeltedforthreeorfourrodsfromtheshore，andtherewasasmoothandwarmsheetofwater，withamuddybottom，suchastheduckslove，within，andhethoughtitlikelythatsomewouldbealongprettysoon。Afterhehadlainstillthereaboutanhourheheardalowandseeminglyverydistantsound，butsingularlygrandandimpressive，unlikeanythinghehadeverheard，graduallyswellingandincreasingasifitwouldhaveauniversalandmemorableending，asullenrushandroar，whichseemedtohimallatoncelikethesoundofavastbodyoffowlcomingintosettlethere，and，seizinghisgun，hestartedupinhasteandexcited；buthefound，tohissurprise，thatthewholebodyoftheicehadstartedwhilehelaythere，anddriftedintotheshore，andthesoundhehadheardwasmadebyitsedgegratingontheshore——